| 2006 |
TMEM67 encodes meckelin, a 995-amino acid seven-transmembrane receptor protein. Positional cloning identified pathogenic mutations in TMEM67 in Meckel-Gruber syndrome families, establishing it as the MKS3 gene product. |
Positional cloning, mutation analysis, sequence conservation analysis |
Nature genetics |
High |
16415887
|
| 2009 |
MKS3 (TMEM67) and MKS1 are required for ciliary structure and function; loss-of-function leads to defects in centrosome number, cilia number and length, including multi-ciliated phenotypes, centrosome over-duplication, and functional defects of the connecting cilium in the eye (lack of outer segment formation) and very short sperm flagella in the wpk rat model. |
Analysis of wpk rat model (in vivo), patient kidney tissue analysis, stable shRNA knockdown of Mks3 in IMCD3 cells (in vitro), immunofluorescence, electron microscopy |
Human molecular genetics |
High |
19515853
|
| 2010 |
In C. elegans, MKS-3 localizes to the distal end of dendrites and the cilium base (not the cilium itself) of ciliated sensory neurons. Genetic analysis shows mks-3 functions in a pathway with other mks genes, and mks-1/mks-3 genetically interact with a separate nphp-1/nphp-4 pathway to influence cilia positioning, orientation, and formation. Combined disruption has cell non-autonomous effects on sensilla. |
GFP localization in C. elegans, genetic epistasis analysis (double and triple mutants), chemoreception assays |
Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN |
High |
20150540
|
| 2009 |
MKS3/TMEM67 (meckelin) functions in endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) of misfolded surfactant protein C (SP-C). MKS3 is a membrane glycoprotein predominantly localized to the ER; its ER lumenal domain interacts with mutant SP-C and associated chaperones, while its transmembrane/cytosolic domains interact with the AAA-ATPase p97. Knockdown of MKS3 inhibited degradation of mutant SP-C, and deletion of the TM/cytosolic domains abrogated p97 interaction and caused accumulation of mutant SP-C. |
Co-immunoprecipitation, domain deletion constructs, siRNA knockdown, immunofluorescence/subcellular fractionation, Western blotting |
The Journal of biological chemistry |
High |
19815549
|
| 2013 |
In the Tmem67 null (bpck) mouse, canonical Wnt signaling is upregulated in cyst linings and isolated fibroblasts. Analysis of zebrafish tmem67 morphants and the bpck mouse did not support a global loss of planar cell polarity (PCP). Defective cilia loading (not loss of ciliogenesis, basal body docking, or PCP signaling) leads to dysfunctional cilia in MKS3 tissues. |
Tmem67 null mouse analysis, zebrafish morpholino knockdown, immunofluorescence for PCP markers, Wnt signaling reporter assays, ciliary loading assays |
Human molecular genetics |
Medium |
23393159
|
| 2013 |
Overexpression of TMEM67 in HEK293 cells activates ERK and JNK signaling pathways (and 4E-BP1 phosphorylation), and these activations are suppressed by pharmacological ERK or JNK inhibitors. In the bpck mouse kidney, phosphorylation of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins, ERK, and 4E-BP1 is elevated at different postnatal ages. |
Overexpression in HEK293 cells, pharmacological inhibition, Western blotting for phospho-ERK/JNK/4E-BP1, bpck mouse kidney analysis |
Cell biology international |
Medium |
23456819
|
| 2015 |
TMEM67 (meckelin) is essential for phosphorylation of the non-canonical Wnt receptor ROR2 upon stimulation with Wnt5a. ROR2 colocalizes and interacts with TMEM67 at the ciliary transition zone (Co-IP). The extracellular N-terminal domain of TMEM67 preferentially binds Wnt5a in an in vitro binding assay. Tmem67 mutant mouse lungs fail to respond to Wnt5a-stimulated epithelial branching morphogenesis, and this pulmonary hypoplasia is rescued by activating RhoA downstream of the Wnt5a-TMEM67-ROR2 axis. |
Co-immunoprecipitation of TMEM67 and ROR2, in vitro Wnt5a binding assay with N-terminal domain, Wnt5a-stimulated ROR2 phosphorylation assay, Tmem67 mutant mouse lung culture rescue by RhoA activation, immunofluorescence colocalization |
Disease models & mechanisms |
High |
26035863
|
| 2017 |
In zebrafish tmem67 morphants, Wnt signaling (but not Hedgehog signaling) is suppressed. Wild-type human TMEM67 RNA rescues morphant phenotypes, whereas RNA harboring patient mutations (p.Gly132Ala or p.Tyr920ThrfsX40) does not, functionally validating these as pathogenic. The p.Tyr920ThrfsX40 truncation mutation accelerates TMEM67 protein turnover as shown by Western blotting. |
Zebrafish morpholino knockdown with mRNA rescue, Western blotting for protein stability, Wnt and Hedgehog signaling assays |
Scientific reports |
Medium |
28860541
|
| 2019 |
In the Tmem67 knockout mouse cerebellum, loss of TMEM67 leads to aberrantly high canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling and increased expression of homeobox transcription factor HOXB5. HOXB5 protein occupancy at the β-catenin promoter is significantly increased upon canonical Wnt activation in Tmem67-/- cerebellar neurons, demonstrating that increased canonical Wnt signaling following loss of TMEM67 is directly dependent on HOXB5. |
Tmem67 knockout mouse analysis, transcriptome profiling, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) for HOXB5 at β-catenin promoter, Western blotting, immunofluorescence |
Scientific reports |
Medium |
30931988
|
| 2019 |
TMEM67 is required for regulation of choroid plexus epithelial cell fluid and electrolyte homeostasis in the Wpk rat; TMEM67 point mutation leads to gene dose-dependent hydrocephalus with increased Na+, K+, and Cl- in CSF of severely hydrocephalic animals, while aquaporin 1 and claudin-1 remain normally polarized in all genotypes. |
Wpk rat model (homozygous and heterozygous), CSF ion analysis, immunofluorescence for AQP1 and claudin-1 localization, MRI/CT volumetric imaging |
Scientific reports |
Medium |
30705305
|
| 2021 |
In adult zebrafish tmem67 mutants, absence of a single cilium precedes cystogenesis and mTOR signaling is hyperactivated. mTOR inhibition (via hypomorphic mtor strain or rapamycin) ameliorates renal cysts in both embryonic and adult zebrafish tmem67 mutants and rescues ciliary abnormalities in adult mutants, placing mTOR signaling downstream of tmem67 loss. |
TALEN-generated tmem67 zebrafish mutants, 2D/3D imaging, rapamycin treatment, hypomorphic mtor genetic cross, cilia quantification |
Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN |
Medium |
33574160
|
| 2021 |
TMEM67 and TMEM237 are unique protein components of the photoreceptor outer segment plasma membrane, as identified by protein correlation profiling using label-free quantitative mass spectrometry comparing OS plasma membrane enriched versus total OS membrane preparations. |
Label-free quantitative mass spectrometry (protein correlation profiling), subcellular fractionation of photoreceptor outer segments |
Molecular & cellular proteomics : MCP |
Medium |
33933680
|
| 2022 |
TMEM67 is required for the transition zone (TZ) gating function that controls entry of membrane-associated proteins ARL13B and INPP5E into primary cilia. TMEM67-KO cells show impaired ciliogenesis, elongated cilia, and perturbed ciliary localization of ARL13B and INPP5E, but normal recruitment of TZ proteins CEP290, RPGRIP1L, and NPHP5. TMEM67 localization extends beyond the TZ into the cilium itself. Ciliopathy-associated TMEM67 mutants restore ARL13B/INPP5E ciliary localization but fail to rescue aberrant cilium elongation. |
CRISPR/Cas9 TMEM67 knockout in hTERT-RPE1 cells, immunofluorescence for TZ and ciliary proteins, exogenous expression of patient variants |
Biochemical and biophysical research communications |
Medium |
36334440
|
| 2025 |
TMEM67 contains a cleavage motif in its extracellular domain that is cleaved by the extracellular matrix metalloproteinase ADAMTS9. This cleavage generates two functional forms: a C-terminal portion that localizes to the ciliary transition zone and regulates ciliogenesis, and a non-cleaved full-length form that regulates non-canonical Wnt signaling. A non-cleavable TMEM67 knock-in mouse develops severe ciliopathy phenocopying Tmem67-/- mice but retains normal Wnt signaling, demonstrating that the two functions are uncoupled by cleavage. Patient variants within the cleavage motif disrupt cilia structure and function in mammalian cells and C. elegans. |
Identification of ADAMTS9 cleavage motif, in vitro cleavage assays, non-cleavable TMEM67 knock-in mouse model, C. elegans patient variant characterization, mammalian cell culture, Wnt signaling assays, ciliary localization studies |
Nature communications |
High |
40436881
|
| 2025 |
FUT8 interacts with TMEM67 and catalyzes its core fucosylation (N-linked glycosylation). Core fucosylation stabilizes TMEM67 by impeding its degradation via the autophagy pathway, ensuring proper localization of TMEM67 to the ciliary transition zone and promoting cilium formation. Fut8-deficient mice exhibit ciliary defects in kidney, brain, and trachea. |
Mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis, co-immunoprecipitation of FUT8 and TMEM67, functional studies in Fut8-deficient mice, autophagy pathway inhibition assays, immunofluorescence for transition zone localization |
The Journal of cell biology |
High |
40728580
|
| 2024 |
The extracellular cleavage by ADAMTS9 uncouples TMEM67's two functions: the non-cleaved form regulates Wnt signaling while the C-terminal cleavage product mediates ciliogenesis via the transition zone. (Preprint version of the peer-reviewed Nature Communications paper PMID:40436881.) |
Identification of ADAMTS9 cleavage motif, non-cleavable TMEM67 mouse model, C. elegans patient variant characterization, Wnt signaling assays |
bioRxivpreprint |
High |
39282264
|
| 2022 |
TMEM67 protein variants associated with mild cholestasis show significantly decreased protein levels in vitro, but their interaction with MKS1 remains unaffected, establishing that MKS1-TMEM67 protein interaction is preserved even with reduced protein stability caused by these hypomorphic variants. |
Western blotting for TMEM67 protein levels, co-immunoprecipitation of TMEM67 and MKS1 |
Journal of cellular physiology |
Low |
35621037
|